On the use of isomer ratios in 44Sc for predicting spin populations in high energy heavy-ion nuclear reactions

From fits of isomer ratios as a function of projectile kinetic energy, we have calculated the centroids in the E-J plane for the 44Scsup(*) population generated in the reactions 29Si(18O, p2n) sup(44m,g)Sc and 41K(α, n) sup(44m,g)Sc. It is shown that 44Sc isomer ratios can be used to predict average spins in 44Scsup(*), particularly if such ratios are low. As isomer ratios increase, unique identification of average spin population becomes more difficult because average excitation energy becomes important in determining the isomer ratio. (orig.)